Half Dome

yosemite · geology · mountains · erosion

A giant dome. Half Dome rises over 8,800 feet above sea level at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in California. One side is a sheer cliff face while the other three sides are smooth and curved like the back of a giant turtle.

Made of crystallized magma. Half Dome is composed of quartz monzonite, an igneous rock that formed deep underground when hot magma from inside the Earth cooled down very slowly and turned solid. This slow cooling created large crystals in the rock.

Cut by erosion. The magma chamber that became Half Dome was originally buried thousands of feet beneath the Earth's surface. Over millions of years, erosion from water, ice, and wind wore away the rock above it and actually split it in half, creating the distinctive shape we see today.

Iconic Yosemite landmark. Half Dome is one of the most recognizable rock formations in Yosemite National Park because of its unique shape, and it has become a symbol of the park's dramatic natural beauty.